Carotenoids are an important class of natural fat soluble pigments commonly found in many plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria, where they play an important role in photosynthesis. Carotenoids can also be found in many non-photosynthetic bacteria, yeasts, moulds and fungi where their role is thought to protect the organism's DNA against photo-oxidation (sun light).
Carotenoids are recognised widely as giving many plants, fruits, flowers and vegetables their red, orange and yellow colours and it is through a diet including such carotenoids that many animals such as salmon, trout and flamingos obtain their flesh and feather colourations. In nature over 620 carotenoids have been identified and characterised.
Carotenoids in animals including humans are widely recognised as having important anti-oxidant activities and some act as a pre-cursor source of vitamin A. There is increasing evidence that some of these play an important role in benefiting human health, and as animals are unable to synthesise these molecules, they therefore must absorb these from the food they eat.
Zeaxanthin (β,β-Carotene-3,3′-diol) is a yellow carotenoid commonly found in maize (Zea mays) and is an important carotenoid for eye-health. Zeaxanthin is an important anti-oxidant found naturally in the retina of humans. It acts as a UV filter to protect the eye against photo-oxidative damage from UV light from the sun. Recent scientific evidence has found that this carotenoid is implicated in reducing the impact of age related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts, two of the leading causes of blindness in the world.
Zeaxanthin is also used widely in the agriculture food industry as an agent for pigmenting broiler chickens, the yolks of eggs and is also used as a food supplement by humans to help protect against AMD. It can also be used as a colourant in the cosmetic and food industries.
These dietary pigments such as zeaxanthin are added to feed to aesthetically improve the colouration of chicken products such as egg yolks and the chickens themselves to improve the aesthetic quality of broiler poultry. This is necessary, as in nature these animals are unable to synthesise these products for themselves and must obtain these pigments from their diet.
Zeaxanthin is synthesized naturally by very few bacterial species with the majority belonging to the genera Flavobacterium and Paracoccus. 
The bacterial species Flavobacterium multivorum has been described as being able to produce zeaxanthin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,759).
The bacterial species Paracoccus zeaxanthinifaciens sp. nov has also been described as producing zeaxanthin (Berry et al. 2003).
Apart from bacterial production of zeaxanthin, commercial natural zeaxanthin is mainly provided from marigolds and alfalfa. However, this biological source is associated with stability problems and biological availability when formulated for the poultry industry. There is current work being conducted to improve these qualities from marigold (Bosma et al. 2003). Most marigold products must first be solvent extracted, saponified and require the addition of anti-oxidants in the extraction process. Previous work conducted by Gierhart et al. 1992 have shown that zeaxanthin produced from Flavobacterium multivorum is 2-3 times more bioavailable than that extracted from marigold.
Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red colour to tomatoes, guava, rosehip, watermelon and pink grapefruit. Lycopene is a proven antioxidant. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which may damage the body's cells. Research shows that lycopene in tomatoes can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into juice, sauce, paste and ketchup. The chemical form of lycopene found in tomatoes is converted by the temperature changes involved in processing to make it more easily absorbed by the body.
In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.
Ongoing preliminary research suggests that lycopene is associated with reduced risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.
Studies are underway to investigate other potential benefits of lycopene—including the H.J. Heinz Company sponsored research at the University of Toronto and at the American Health Foundation. These studies will focus on lycopene's possible role in the fight against cancers of the digestive tract, breast and prostate cancer.
The main commercial source of natural lycopene is from tomato and from the fungus Blakslea trispora. However, to the best of the inventor's there are no reports of natural lycopene being isolated from a bacterium and in particular from the genus Algibacter, in high yields.
Phytoene & phytofluene are colourless precursors in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. Beyond being antioxidants, they also have the capacity to fight hydroxyl radicals—the most powerful radicals in nature. They are also said to have an anti-inflammatory action, protecting the skin against inflammation and UV radiation, and can help protect the cardiovascular system by preventing oxidation of LDL. It is anticipated that they will be used in dietary supplements or in any food where an additional health benefit is desirable. Phytoene and Phytofluene have also been seen to work together with other ingredients like CoQ10 and pigmented carotenoids to boost their activity, stabilise these molecules and prevent degradation. Colourless carotenoids are suitable for cosmetics because of their anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties. It is also judged that it would be easier to develop sales in the cosmetics arena, as colour is particularly pertinent for this market. At present, colourless carotenoids come from specially cultured tomatoes and algae.
An object of the present invention is to provide an alternate higher purity source of natural zeaxanthin, lycopene and colourless carotenoids desirably phytoene and phytofluene, optionally including phytoene, phytofluene, lycopene, β,β-carotene, 3′-hydroxyechinenone and β-cryptoxanthin derived from marine bacteria, belonging to the genus Algibacter. A further object is to provide a bacterium belonging to the genus Algibacter, capable of producing zeaxanthin at high purity e.g. greater than 98% total carotenoids.